schaefer



{ No Model.) P SOHAEFER 3 sheets-sheet 1.

VELOGIPBDE.

No. 433,542. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2A P. SQHAEFER.

VELOGIPBDB.

No. 433,542. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. P. SGHAEFER.

VELOGIPEDB. No. 433,542. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEioE.

PETER SCHAEFER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AMERICAN VEHICLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VELOClPEDE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,542, dated August5, 1890.

Application filed December 28, 1889. Serial No. 335,230. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Bc it known that I, PETER SCHAEEER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVelocipedes, of which the following is a specication, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

1o This invention relates to velocpedes, and more particularly totricycles; and it has for its object to provide such a vehicle in whichone, two, or more persons seated thereon will transmit motion to the driving-wheels by rock- :5 ing the seat to and fro in a manner to impart afast speed thereto with an easy movement; and with that object in Viewmy invent-ion consists of the novel devices and combinations of deviceshereinafter described, and

2o specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a section al elevationof the tricycle from line :n a' in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view ot' thesame, the seat being removed. Fig. 3

is a transverse vertical section on the line of the main axles; and Fig.4 is a sectional elevation from line y y in Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6represent a sectional elevation and -a plan view of the tricycles,showing a modified device for transmitting motion from the rocking seatto the drive-wheel axle.

Corresponding figures of reference in the several figures of thedrawings designate like parts.

The main axles 1 and 2 have each rigidly mounted upon one end a maindrive-wheel 3,

and are journaled to beaxiallyin linewith each other in the sidebearings 4, and with their abutting ends in central bearing 5 of therear portion of the frame. This frame is formed longitudinally of twoside bars 6 and one central bar 7,bent stair-like, to be lower in front,and these three bars are transversely connected by rear bar 8 and frontbar 9 to be rigid, and to the front bar 9 is secured the lower end ofagoose-neck-shaped bracket 10, having to its upper forwardly-curvedextremity a vertical hub bored to receive the upper trunnion of abifurcated standard 11, into 5o which is pivoted the pilot or steeringwheel 12. This frame thus supported on three wheels has secured betweenthe vertical portions of Vbars 6 and 7 and the bracket 10 a platform orfoot-board 13, which may be adjustably fixed for a more or less elevatedposition to accommodate different-sized occupants.

Upon each axle 1 and 2 is loosely pivoted a sleeve 22, upon one end ofwhich is rigidly mounted a disk 14, and upon its opposite end is rigidlymounted a sprocket-wheel 23, and 6o upon each sleeve 22, intermediate ofdisk 14 and sprocket-wheel 23, is loosely pivoted the hub of asemi-wheel 15, and against the opposite side of disk 14 is looselysleeved upon each axle 1 and 2 a semi-wheel 16, and the 65 semi-wheels15 being radially smaller have teeth out in the outward edges of theirrims, while the larger semi-wheels 16 have teeth cut in the inward edgesof their rims, both engaging with pinions 17, rigidly mounted 7o upon ashaft 1S, journaled in suitable bearings against the rear edges of thevertical portion of the framebars G and '7 .in a manner that a rockingmovement of one of the semiwheels 15 or 16 will transmit a reverse rock-7 5 ing movement to the other semi-wheel. The cap portion of the hub ofeach semi-wheel 15 and 16 is provided with a radial arm 19, having asmall disk 20, eccentrically pivoted upon a crank-pin at the upper endsof such 8o arms 19, which moving over disk 14 in a forward directionwill take frictional hold ou such disk 14` to move with it, but movingin a backward direction such disk 2O will release its hold on disk 14,whereby a noiseless movement is produced that will operate upon disk 14in the same. manner as a pawl upon a ratchet-wheel. It will thus bereadily seen that a rocking movement imparted to semi-Wheel 16,by meansot' shaft 1S and pin- 9c ions 17, will impart a similar movement in auopposite direction to semi-wheel 15, so that the disks 2O of the arms ofthe two semi-wheels 15 and 1G will alternately grip the disk 14,imparting to it a continuous rotating' move- 95 ment iu one direction.Upon the diametrical bar of the two semi-wheels 16, at the'oppositesides of the tricyole, are secured the legs of a seat 21, provided witha back and with armrests, and being of the desired width for one loo ortwo occupants, who when seated will rest their feet upon foot-board 13.This seat 21 is fixed upon semi-wheels 16, sufficiently more toward thefront thatthe weight of the occupant will makesuch seat rock forward andthat by the force of his legs the occupant will recline the seatbackward, thus producing a to-and-fro movement of such seat and of thesemi-wheels 16 and 15 for rotating disk 14.

Close to the cent-ral bearing 5 is loosely mounted upon each' axle 1 and2 a sprocketwheel 24, and the sprocket-wheels 23 and 24 are providedwith clutch-teeth on their opposing sides, and between thesesprocketwheels 23 and 24 is sleeved upon each axle 1 and 2, and upon afeather rigid with the axle, a coupling 25, in a manner to rot-ate withthe axle, but to be free laterally to slide thereon, each end of suchcoupling 25 being provided with clutch-teeth adapted to engage andcouple with either one of the sprocket-wheels 23er 24, to turn with anddrive the axle. Each such coupling of thetwo axles 1 and 2 is annularlygrooved to engage the ring end ofa bar 2G or 27, the opposite ends ofwhich bars'26 and 27 are pivotally coupled at opposite sides of itsfulcrum-bolt to a lever 28, pivotedupon central bar 7 of the frame, withits rearward handle extending beyond bar 8 of the frame, on which theheads of.t\vo bolts 29 are provided for holding such lever 28 in eitherone of its two positions with the clutch 25, coupling eithersprocket-wheels 23 or 24, which simultaneously of both axles 1 and 2 arethus made to move with these axles.

lTo be in line with sprocket-wheels 23 and 24 are loosely mounted uponshaft 18 sprocketwheels 30 and 31, both made rigid with each i other bya long hub, the sprocket-wheels 31 'stretched an endless chain 32,

being of larger diameter than sprocket-wheels 30, and oversprocketvheels 23 and 30 is and over` sprocket-wheels 24 and 31 isstretched an endless chain 33, whereby motion imparted to disk 14 andsprocket-wheel 23 will be transmitted to sprocket-wheels 30 and 31 bychain 32, and, again will be transmitted at a faster speed tosprocket-wheel 24 by chain 33, in a manner that by shifting thecouplings 25 to engage wheels 23 the speed transmitted to the axles willbe less than with shifting the coupling toengage wheel 24, so that theoccupant can go at a slow speed while riding uphill, and when on a levelroad he can change the mechanism fora faster speed with the same rockingmovement of the seat.

Upon the upper projecting end of the trunnion of the bifurcated standard11 for pilotwheel 12 is rigidly secured a crank 34, connected by a rod35 with another crank 3G of a sta-ff 37, pivoted in suitable bracketsagainst the vertical part of one of the side bars 6 of the frame, andthis staff 37 has to its upper extremity a handle 38, in easy reach ofthe occupant, by which h'e controls'the pilot-wheel for steering thevehicle.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modication of the driving-gears for transmitting acontinuous rotating movement to the axles from the rocking seat. In thisdevice, instead of disk 14 and semi-wheels 15 and 16, is loosely mountedupon each axle an interiorly-toothed gearwheel 30, meshing with pinion17 of shaft 18. The seat 2l is secured upon two swinging beams 40,loosely pivoted upon the axles, and the forward ends of these beams 40have each pivoted a spring-controlled pawl 41, engaging the teeth ofwheels 39. Rearwardlyextending arms 42, also loosely pivoted upon theaxles and each provided with a springcontrolled pawl 43, are coupledeach with the rear end of a beam 39 by chains 44, passed over pulleys45, whereby a rocking movement of the seat 21 in one direction willtransmit a rocking movement to the arms 42 in an opposite direction, andwhereby one of the two pawls 4l or 43 will alternately be in engagementwith one of the teeth of wheels 39, while the other pawl will be on itsreturn movement sliding over the teeth therein, so as to impart acontinuous rotating movement to such wheels. Upon shaft 17 are alsorigidly mounted two sprocket-wheels 16, and

uponeach axle is rigidly mounted a sprocketwheel 47, and over each pairof sprocketwheels is stretched an endless chain 48, that will transmitmotion from shaft 17 driven by pinion 18, and from wheels 39 to theaxles l and 2. l

Vhile a single axle may be efficient, I prefer to provide an independentaxle to each drive-wheel, whereby the tricycle will move over a curvedroad with more ease than with both wheels rigidly mounted upon a single'axle. Y

1. In a tricycle, the combination, with the frame, the axles pivotedthereto, and the drivewheels rigidly mounted upon these axles, of arocking seat pivotally supported on the axles, sprocket-wheels mountedupon such axles and upon a shaft journaled to the frame parallel withthe axles, a pawl-and-ratchet movement in connection with a suitablegearwheel transmission to the sprocket-wheels on the shaft, convertingthe rocking movement of the seat into a rotary movement of thesesprocket-wheels, and an endless chain stretched over the sprocket-wheelsfor transmitting such motion to the axle, all substantially as setforth.

2. In a tricycle, the combination, with the frame, the axles pivotedthereto, and the drivewheels rigidly mounted upon these axles, ofexternally and internally toothed semi or segmental wheels looselypivoted upon these axles, all meshing with pinions mounted upon a shaftpivoted to the frame parallel with the axles, the seat secured upon twoof the semi or segmental wheels, eccentric disks or pawls pivoted to thesemi orsegmental wheels, and disks or ratchet-wheels mounted upon theaxles in position for engagement with the veccentric disks or pawls oftwo opposing semi IOO IIC)

pr slegmental wheels, all substantially as set Ort 3. In a tricycle, thecombination, with the frame provided with a foot-board, the axlespivoted to such frame, and the drive-wheels rigidly mountcd upon theseaxles, of externallytoothed semi or segmental wheels loosely pivotedupon these axles, pinions mounted upon a shaft pivoted to the frameparallel with the axles and meshing with the semi or segmental wheels,eccentric disks or pawls pivoted to the semi or segmental Wheels, anddisks or ratchetwheels loosely mounted upon the axles in position forengagement with the eccentric disks or pawls, a sprocket-Wheel rigidwith the disk or ratchet-wheel, and a sprocket-Wheel loosely mountedupon the axles both with clutchteetl1,a clutch-coupling interposedbetween said sprocket-Wheels to engage either one and operated and heldin gear by a suitable lever device, two sprocket-wheels rigid with eachother and of different diameters and loosely mounted upon thepinion-shaft,endless chains connecting the sprocket-wheels of the axleswith the sprocket-wheels of the pinion-shaft, and a rocking seat securedupon two of the semi or segmental Wheels, all substantially as setforth.

- 4. In a tricycle, the combination, with the frame provided with afoot-board, the axles pivoted to such frame, the drive-Wheels rigidlymounted upon these axles, and the pilotwheel journaled in a bifurcatedstandard pivoted in the front of the frame with suitable connections forsteering the same, of semi- Wheels 15 and 16, one with external and theother with internal teeth, loosely mounted upon the axles, seat 21,secured upon semi- Wheels 16, pinions 17, mounted upon shaft 18 andmeshing with the semi-Wheels, disks 14, mounted upon the axles, andeccentric disks or friction-pawls 20, pivoted to arms of semi- Wheels 15and 16, alternately gripping the disks 14, substantially as set forth.

5. In a tricycle, the combination, with the frame provided with afoot-board, the axles pivoted to such frame, the drive-wheels rigidlymounted upon these axles, and the pilot- Wheel journaled in a bifurcatedstandard pivoted in the front of the frame, with suitable connectionsfor steering the same, ot semi- Wheels 1 5 and 16, one with external andthe other with internal teeth, loosely mounted upon the axles, seat 21,secured upon semi- Wheels 16, pinions 17, mounted upon shaft 18 andmeshing with the semi-wheels, disks 14, loosely mounted upon the axlesand each having coupled a sprocket-Wheel 23, eccentric disks orfriction-pawls 20, pivoted to arms of semi-wheels 15 and 16 to engagedisks 14, sprocket-Wheels 24C, loosely mounted upon the axles, and thesprocket-wheels 23 and 24 provided with cl utch-teeth, clutch-coupling25, feathered and laterally sliding upon the axles, sprocket-wheels 30and 31, rigid with each other and loosely sleeved upon shaft 18, andendless chains 32 and 33, stretched over the sprocket-Wheels 23 and 30and 24 and 31, all substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PETER SCUAE FER.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM H. Lorz, I. N. KALB.

